The carrot harvest started in Limburg on Monday 27th of June. The carrots could not be harvested before then due to the heavy rainfall and the late spring, so the new season has begun later than last year. "The early varieties are easily harvested, but the quality is not great for most plots. The tare percentage is relatively high because most plots suffered from heavy rainfall, resulting in saturated soil. The quality of the carrot is not what we have been used to the past few years in Limburg," says Arjan Freriks of Hagranop. 
Prices are lower
Even though the volumes are smaller, the prices are lower than last season. "There are a number of reasons for this. One important reason is that the customers from Germany have started harvesting their own early crops. This year their carrots and the ones from Limburg were ready at the same time. Another reason is that the processing costs are lower because of the lower quality, the higher tare percentages, and the risks are greater. Last year there were shortages everywhere and even during the holidays, there were large volumes that were being shipped to destinations such as North Africa. Besides, the harvest was earlier then and not as close to the holidays as this year. Now there is some business, but not overseas. There are too many risks to supply far away destinations with carrots of such quality."
Reasonable prices
Arjan states that the difference between this and last year is somewhere between 5 to 10 cents per kilogram. "For now it is a reasonable price, but we will have to see what the next few weeks will bring." He says that the demand for large carrots is good. "It is basically the same story: the volumes are smaller, but the prices are not on the level the producers would want." According to him, there could be a better season for the later varieties. "These varieties have been planted later, so they have less trouble with sprouting, if everything is all right, and grown in the same way as the earlier varieties. It was cold and wet at the moments that they were supposed to size up. For now, more sunshine is forecast, so the harvest should be better. Hopefully the weather will be a bit drier the next few weeks."
For more information:
Hagranop B.V.
Westermeerweg 17
8309 PZ Tollebeek (Netherlands)
Tel: +31 (0) 527 - 276161
Fax: +31 (0) 527 - 276179
info@hagranop.com
www.hagranop.com